LogFAQs > #897315422

9 | Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

I am a lover of the Kong. A connoisseur of the Banana. An expert of the Vine.

Donkey Kong Countryyes, the originalhas been a source of many a great gaming memory. I must have played this game endlessly, on repeat, sometimes in between sessions of Mario World. I was absolutely, positively, unequivocally addicted to this mascot platformer in a way that might be embarassing to admit.

A young, grade school Heroic Mario might have drawn and crafted what todays culture would call fanart and fanfiction of Donkey Kong. It isnt enough to say I was enamored, I need these real world examples. Were in the TOP 10, folks! The glovesor maybe the tie, hohohomust come off.

If youve read this list by now, you know I like simple ideas with great execution. DKC is thata truly basic, simple platformer with a lot of cool, creative ideas based around a couple of rules you learn in the first world. I dont know what other game has given the excellence of Mine Cart platforming, or an entire level dedicated to Red Light, Green Light, or jumping on oversized pirate crocodiles with a penchant for bananas, other than DK. To be sure, he was the trendsetter, a rule breaker.

DKC also may have been the first video game where I took special note to the soundtrack. Who in the world could possibly not remember Aquatic Ambience? I still use that tune when I want some sweet, soothing background noise to compliment what Im doinglike, say, writing about a video game on a website! For a platformer, especially, DKC uses its music and graphical style to create a mood, an atmosphere, that still feels totally unique today. Forget that youre playing as monkeys jumping in oversized animal for a moment! Think Vulture Culture, fighting through treetop houses that look like theyre out of Endor, only to go busting through an industrial oil factoryits all brimming with imagination, with a score that compliments and brings out the atmosphere perfectly. Compared to a Mario or Mega Man, with their bright colors and cheery demeanor, Kong Country felt like the advancement of how platformers could convey feeling and atmosphere.

Yes, all on the back of an Ostrich wearing sneakers. It was the 90s, this is what we did.

To be sure, DKC2 took what DKC1 did, dialed it up to a millionall with more nimble characters that people enjoyed playing with more than DK properand perfected what Rare could do with a platformer. I can admit this while still preferring the original DKC more! Theres something about it that just sticks with me, that feels more inviting and interesting to play the whole way through. DKC2 kind of putters out in the last third, I think. DKC just builds and builds.

In fact, if you have to know, Tropical Freeze is my second favorite DKC game! It only narrowly avoided making the list, primarily for the sake of diversity and its relative recency. I might just have a thing for games that involve Donkey Kong.

Hes the first member of the DK crew.